The Fox and The Prince
by catharticdeficit
Summary: The little prince should have known better than to intrude. And 100 years later, it's Sasuke who's paying the price. Retelling of kitsune folklore and Cupid and Psyche. NaruSasu Yaoi


**Warning:** yaoi (which means lemons in second part), butchering of folklore and mythology, bad grammar, bad writing.

**The Fox and The Prince**

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there was a prince with a very curious personality. He was known in their kingdom to go everywhere around, seeking new things to explore.

One day, he decided to wander off far into the forest in search of a new place to call his own. However, he went too deep into the woods and found himself lost. Instead of crying for help, the little prince decided that it was better that he found himself a way out.

As he tried to retrace his steps, he heard a faint sound nearby. It was a wonderful, happy sound that was quite unlike anything he had ever heard of before. Intrigued, the little prince followed the lively music and came upon a spectacular scene.

The wide clearing was alive with music, laughter, and lights. Creatures of the forest danced gaily around a huge pyre while others played weird instruments. The prince, accustomed to many wonderful things, thought that nothing could compare to this.

He knew what it was: a kitsune's wedding. He knew of the stories his old teacher told him, of fantastic parties and amazing spectacles to celebrate the bond of two powerful spirits.

But he also knew of the dangers of intruding in one. The little prince frowned. It wasn't fair. He was the prince. Surely these creatures would be honoured to have someone as him in their party, would they not?

Emboldened by the thought, the prince went to the clearing and everything—the music, the dancing, the laughter—stopped. Every one swivelled around to see who had disrupted their merriment and eyes fell on the prince, who stood there regally, thinking that they were so bowled over by his mere presence that they stopped to greet him.

But nobody spoke, and the prince strode forward, asking, "What has happened to the music? To the dancing? I want to see more!"

"Insolent brat!" a pale-gold female fox growled from his left. Her two tails swished dangerously behind her and her honey eyes were narrowed in distaste. "Do you know what you have done?"

"Tsunade," soothed a silver fox on her left. His lone tail wrapped around the female fox. "Let the young human speak his mind for a moment, and tell us whether this warrants the usual punishment."

"Shut up," barked the female. "You're just amused at this. He deserves to be punished."

"I know," the silver fox said, "but don't you think Minato should decide on this? After all, it is his wedding."

The silver fox smiled at a gold fox which stood impassively at the podium erected on the clearing. Clear, blue eyes locked onto the little prince.

The prince shivered, not liking the apathy that dulled in the fox's blue eyes yet couldn't tear himself away. Never before had he seen such a wonderful colour in anybody's eyes before. He longed to see those eyes shine, anything except the marked indifference he saw there.

The golden fox turned to the red fox on his side, speaking in a hushed whisper. The prince knew that this was the fox's bride. He had interrupted their wedding.

As he listened to the harsh wind ringing in his ears, the low growls of the pale-gold fox on one side reminding him to keep alert, he couldn't help but think of his mentor's words. That sometimes, the price of such treason as he did was more than what anyone could ever imagine.

The gold fox finally spoke, and it was a soft, tinkling tune that would forever haunt the prince.

"The little human clearly did not know what he was doing," he began in a sombre tone. The pale-gold fox yipped harshly, not liking where this was going. "And a harsh punishment as is proper is not needed. The human may be of use to us in the future." The blue eyes locked on the prince again. "Little human, you have done a very unforgivable thing, and punishment shall be bestowed upon you. You are the heir of a powerful clan, I can tell. But this affront will not be yours to appease. In a hundred years, your descendants will be the ones to pay for the foolishness of your act today. Great misfortune will befall upon them, and it will affect the whole of your clan greatly."

The gold fox stepped from the podium and approached the prince who stood still, unbelieving of all that he heard.

A gold paw reached out to touch the prince in the forehead. The prince couldn't move suddenly and he lost the ability to speak.

"Remember our words, dear prince," the gold fox said.

A wind rustled by and all the creatures disappeared.

The prince fainted on the ground, the fox's words ringing in his ears.

Never again did the prince see the spirits.

--

Six-year-old Uchicha Sasuke pouted at his older brother, crossing his chubby arms against his chest. He and his brother, princes of the kingdom of the Uchiha, were enjoying a leisurely day in their estate's gardens, overshadowed by the majestic palace they called their home.

"That's a dumb story, aniki," said Sasuke.

Itachi smiled at his younger brother, rolling up the scroll from where he'd read the story. "In a lot of ways, it does seem like the kind of story for little children to scare them into not going to the forest for fear of what would happen to them."

Sasuke nodded.

"But, there is a reason why I've chosen to read this for you today," continued Itachi. Yet Sasuke, with the attention span that befitted his age, was bouncing in his place and whining about wanting to go outside and play.

Itachi sighed and put away the scroll. He took Sasuke's hand into his own.

_Someday you'll understand the story for what it is, little brother,_ he thought heavily. _Someday soon._

But for now Itachi could only appease to his brother's whims and desires. It was the only thing he could really do for him.

For in ten years, it would be exactly a hundred years since a precocious little prince had dared to disrupt a fox's wedding.

--

"Naruto!" a voice boomed from the halls, disrupting a golden fox from his slumber. Blue eyes barely cracked open as he burrowed himself deeper in his sheets, intent on ignoring everyone for the whole day.

"Naruto!" the pale-gold fox growled warningly again before she pulled the sheets away from the sleeping kitsune.

"Damn it!" Naruto grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What the hell was that for, Tsunade-baba!"

"Brat!" Tsunade threw a powerful punch on his head. "I told you to stop calling me that!"

"Well, you're my grandmother, so it's my right!" screamed Naruto, dodging another punch aimed his way.

"Shut up and get ready! Your father needs you in the main hall," snapped Tsunade, turning for the door and leaving the other fox alone.

Naruto grumbled to himself as he yawned. He knew what it was about.

In ten years was his hundredth birthday. As with Kitsune custom, he was supposed to pick a bride by then. He scratched his neck in disgust. He was never interested in the other female foxes—hell, in any of the foxes in their kingdom—but they were pressing him to do so.

He puffed out indignantly as he shook the last vestiges of sleep from his foggy mind. It wasn't as easy as they made it sound. His father was lucky that he found Naruto's mother that quickly. And besides, Naruto felt that he could never really have that connection needed to be eternally bonded to another creature.

Besides, it was more fun playing pranks on the other spirits in their kingdom or on the unsuspecting humans which resided just beyond their borders.

He got up finally and sauntered out of his quarters for the main rooms. He knew that it was time to tell his father how he felt of this whole situation.

--

Naruto whistled as he strolled along the forest. His laced behind his head. He was in his human form, being able to assume this body since his fiftieth birthday. He loved shifting himself as a human and wreaking havoc in their towns through his pranks.

The wind ruffled his blond locks and alerted him to a scent that could only belong to humans. Grinning madly at the prospect of new victims, he followed the slightly sweet odour. He scrunched his nose. Usually, humans had a peculiar scent on them—of course each differs for every person—but if Naruto had to describe then generally, it was more of a sour, pungent smell.

But this was different. It had a slight sweet note to it that reminded him greatly of the orange blossoms in his own garden. Orange blossoms and fresh, crisp leaves—Naruto's two favourite aromas in a human.

Curious, Naruto walked stealthily to where the sweet odour collected. He hid himself behind bushes and he found his breath hitching.

A small boy with ebony hair kneeled in a small field of wildflowers. The boy couldn't be more than six years old by human standards. His skin, pale and smooth, was translucent against the powerful glare of the sun. A pink tongue darted out in concentration as chubby fingers worked on an untidy wreath of wild daisies.

Naruto could only stare at the human boy, his heart beating wildly. He found his throat dry and his eyes widened. The boy was unlike anything he had ever seen. The air was thick with the scent of this particular boy and it made him dizzy. What was happening to him? Was he under some enchantment? This was impossible! He was a powerful spirit! He wasn't supposed to feel this way by just merely staring at a boy!

But the longer he watched, the more his anticipation grew. He was anxious to come out of his hiding spot and approach the boy. Get a bit closer, maybe even dare to touch that sinfully flawless skin under his fingertips. His whole body twitched at the prospect as he felt warm all over. The desire to posses the boy was so strong that Naruto thought he was going mad, feeling this way for a human. He tried to shake himself out of his reverie, but it was futile. He also tried tearing his eyes away yet was unable to for some reason.

He was ready to jump out when another human came suddenly. Naruto watched as the boy jumped up and present the man with the clumsily made wreath.

The smile the small boy gave the older man made Naruto groan in pure desire as well as spark something akin to jealousy at his chest. He should be the one receiving that smile, the illogical part of his mind screamed.

However, Naruto noticed that the older human looked similar to the boy yet the boy's features were plumper, more feminine. Were they related to each other?

Naruto's question was answered when the boy piped up happily, "Do you like the flowers, aniki?"

The older male smiled, ruffling the young one's hair as he held the crown gently in his other hand.

"I love it, Sasuke, thank you," the older man replied and took the boy's hand.

And as Naruto watched the two humans walk away from the field, only one word kept reverberating in Naruto's ears.

Sasuke...Sasuke...his name is Sasuke....

Naruto grinned. He found his bride.

--

_**Ten Years Later**_

Sasuke sat on the silk cushion in the middle of the nearly bare room, not even daring to move a muscle. His silken robes were heavy, hot, and itchy but it wasn't time to complain. His hands twisted on his lap in anticipation of what was to come.

It was three days ago that he had his sixteenth birthday, and the whole kingdom was alive with the celebrations. Nobles from all parts of the kingdom, and some from others, filled the castle for the parties. Though the scale of the festival was lesser when compared to his own brother's, who was the crown prince, it was still extravagant as befitting a prince of the Uchiha kingdom.

The only problem with his coming of age was that he was now able to marry—a task he was not particularly looking forward to. Daughters from noble families threw themselves at him during the event, some not even trying to conceal their true desire of marrying him and having his babies. He politely refused every offer, claiming that his duty was to serve his brother, and he had no plans to marry until Itachi had married as well.

In the end, he nearly had to spend the whole week of merriment either in his quarters or in the gardens, only making an appearance when it was dire to do so in order not to affront anybody.

King Fugaku was not as understanding as his wife, Queen Mikoto, of their son's wishes to be left alone in peace and away from the hordes of girls clamouring to be his bride. He had demanded that prince Sasuke socialise more as it was beneficial to his country. The real reason for the festival was for Sasuke to pick a bride, preferably a princess of another powerful kingdom to create an alliance.

However, King Fugaku's plans were thwarted for on the last day of the merrymaking, a strange man had arrived and had presented himself before the king and Prince Sasuke.

"Your highness," said the strange man, "please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Umino Iruka and I have come here today at the request of my master to ask for a special favour."

"And pray tell, good sir, what should your master seek from our humble kingdom?" said Fugaku.

"Your kingdom will be greatly compensated for this trouble," Iruka continued as if Fugaku hadn't spoken at all. He clapped his hands, and at the astonishment of the whole hall, a majestic wooden chest appeared in front of him. He lifted the lid, and they saw the chest filled with all kinds of treasures—gold coins, sparkling jewels of every shape, size and colour, bolts of fine silk and satin, and other precious trinkets.

The royal family was impressed at the display of riches and when Iruka replaced the lid, people could only gape and whisper amongst themselves in excitement and fear.

"I will ask again, good sir," said Fugaku, more than piqued. "What do you seek that would warrant such a lavish gift?"

"My master, Prince Naruto of the Konoha kingdom, wish to wed your Prince Sasuke in the next full moon," answered Iruka tremulously and the hall was silent for a full minute, digesting his words before bursting with babbles again.

Sasuke stared at the guest, not daring to believe what he just heard. He was a boy, not a girl! This was an insult. He was about to pull his sword in anger but Itachi placed a calming hand on his shoulder and nodded to the direction of their father who was glaring at the Iruka person.

"Silence!" roared Fugaku as he stared at the guest with angry eyes. "Do you know what you speak of? It is my son you are talking about! He is a prince, not a princess for your prince to marry as he wishes!"

Iruka's jaw tightened. "Clearly, you do not realise the consequences of denying such a request. I come from the land of Konoha, the famous village hidden in the leaves." The guests gasped at this. "And my prince wants yours. Remember the curse placed on your clan a hundred years ago." Fugaku stood up, and Mikoto was at his side, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "This is the payment asked in place of that curse." He eyed the chest of treasures with slight displeasure. "My prince is too generous with you humans."

"We are giving you one week to decide," Iruka warned before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Father...." began Itachi slowly, unwilling to add fuel to the fire. His father was beyond livid.

Mikoto turned to the guests with a small smile. "Thank you for coming today. Please enjoy the rest of the party." She turned to her husband and dragged him behind the curtains to an antechamber. Fugaku slumped down to a soft velvet couch, sighing heavily.

Itachi and Sasuke strode into the room after their parents. Itachi was calm while Sasuke was livid.

"How dare they ask something such as that!" roared Sasuke, his Uchiha calm slipping to be replaced with pure fury. "I'm not something to be bought and I'm certainly not a girl!"

"Sasuke," cut in Itachi sharply. "Calm yourself. Your behaviour is unbefitting of an Uchiha."

Sasuke was too furious to be ashamed; nevertheless he closed his mouth and sank to an armchair in front of his father.

"There is no way you'll agree to this, isn't there?" he asked quietly.

Fugaku shook his head before boring his eyes onto his youngest son. "Sasuke, do you remember the tales of the curious prince? And of Konoha?"

"Yes," answered Sasuke warily, not knowing where the conversation was heading. "I always thought that it's just a dumb fairytale to warn little children off the forest."

Fugaku sighed, "I knew you felt that way about it. Listen carefully, Sasuke. That story is true. In fact it happened to this family, our family. Your great grandfather Madara was the curious prince in the story. He was the one who dared trespass a kitsune's wedding. The curse is real, and this is the price they are asking for. Konoha is a powerful kingdom inhabited by mighty spirits with close ties to the gods. Its inhabitants are said to be immortal and their kingdom lavish beyond anything we could ever have imagined. They take on the forms of sacred animals, the most powerful one being a kitsune." He snorted softly. "I was actually thinking of something more sinister than this. But my own son as payment...how laughable...."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "But...Father...this is not possible! I-I can't marry a spirit fox just because of some mistake our ancestor did!"

Fugaku's eyes sharpened with a glare at Sasuke. "I will not tolerate any insubordination, less from my own son! This is for the sake of the clan and you will do as you're told." To the surprise of the other three, Fugaku smiled slightly. "Think of the honour it is, my son! To be chosen as the partner of a powerful spirit, a prince of Konoha no less! It's been five hundred years since a spirit has chosen a human for its mate. Think about it, our kingdom will be forever protected by the demon kingdom with this alliance! Why, it's better than any of the nobilities after you. Our prince as consort to a fox prince...it's more than what we could ever ask for our kingdom."

Fugaku strode over to his son and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Trust me, Sasuke that this will go along great," he said his voice much softer and more loving than Sasuke had ever heard before. "Think of this as a duty to your kingdom. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make the arrangements to Sasuke's impending wedding."

He went out of the room in much higher spirits. Mikoto spared a look of worry at her sons before going after her husband, patting Sasuke on the cheek on her way out and giving Itachi a small look that spoke volumes.

Itachi stared at his younger brother and could not help the sudden feel of helplessness as Sasuke's body shook slightly.

--

Sasuke sighed as he remembered it all. The letter came the next day with the instructions of taking Sasuke to a shrine in the forest and leaving him alone there to be picked up by the spirits.

He recalled the tears in his mother's eyes as she embraced him, whispering fretfully last minute instructions on being a proper mate, Itachi's small grunts Sasuke took as encouragement, and his father's small smile which he answered with a fake one.

Sasuke stared at his hands, finally feeling the exhaustion of a week's worth of anxiety creeping up on him. Well, it seemed that it would be a bit longer before anything came for him so he closed his eyes.

But as he felt himself being pulled to the wondrous abyss of unconsciousness, the fragrance of orange blossoms and fresh, crisp leaves filled him.

--

When Sasuke awoke, it was to a dark room. Knowing instinctively that this was new territory, his hand went up to his pillow to grab the dagger he kept there but found it missing. Bits and pieces of his memory came back and he recalled his situation.

He must be in Konoha now, and most likely in the palace of his new mate. The elaborate robes he had worn before were gone to be replaced with a soft, silky robe more appropriate for resting. The bed he was in was more comfortable than his bed at the palace and suddenly, he found himself unwilling to move.

But he forced himself to get up, feeling everywhere around him for some sort of lighting. A candle, an oil lamp, a match—anything to dispel the darkness.

"Awake, are we?" asked a low, rumbling voice near him and it took all Sasuke had not to jump up in surprise.

Sasuke bit his cheek to stop himself from giving a nasty retort.

Instead he asked, "Where am I?"

"Welcome to the kingdom of Konoha, which is now your new home," the voice replied, which was slightly mocking yet gentle. "You are currently in my quarters, which will serve as yours as well."

"Are you Prince Naruto?" said Sasuke, though already knowing the answer.

"Yes, my dear Prince Sasuke," rumbled the voice. It held a slight groan to it, as if the other were restraining himself from something Sasuke knew naught.

"Don't you think that it's better that I see you? Is there a lamp nearby or something?" said Sasuke. "If you are to be my eternal mate, I should at least know what you look like, right?"

The voice laughed loudly and Sasuke flinched slightly. "Too true, but it is not time yet, my dear one. For tonight, sleep."

"I just slept for what felt like days," grumbled Sasuke. He wasn't a very talkative person by nature but he found himself saying the first things that came to his mind with ease. "I can't possibly sleep right now?"

"Oh?" the voice was amused now. Before Sasuke could comprehend what was happening, a soft hand—Sasuke had expected claws—had cupped his chin, tilting it upwards as his lips were graced with a tender kiss that made his knees weak and his companion sigh in contentment. He felt himself being pushed to lay down before silk sheets were pulled over him.

"Sleep, my love," the voice commanded quietly. "I'll be with you."

And Sasuke was more than happy to obey, feeling secure even in a foreign land, with the stranger—Prince Naruto, his new mate—stroking his cheek.

--

In no time at all, Sasuke found himself a routine to fill his days in the palace. He took his meals in a room adjacent to his sleeping quarters. Iruka, who was also Naruto's teacher, taught him demon culture, etiquette, and history in the mornings while Kakashi, one of his guards, gave him combat training in the afternoons. Before meals, he would spend an hour in the throne room with the royal family, consisting of King Minato, Queen Kushina, and also Jiraiya and Tsunade who used to rule the kingdom before they gave control to their son. They like to grill him with tales of his life with humans when they weren't teasing him about his love life with Naruto.

It was actually Sasuke's idea to have the fighting lessons when he told Naruto one night that he missed sparring like what he did with his brother and the very next day, Kakashi turned up after his classes with Iruka, telling him to follow him to the nearest dojo where they would commence training.

When Sasuke was not with Iruka, Kakashi, or the maids that seemed to trail after him everywhere, he spent his days in the gardens, just thinking. He wasn't allowed out of the palace grounds but the gardens were the only place he could be alone.

He knew that he was lucky to have this much comfort and luxury even in the midst of such alien territory. There wasn't anything he could ever want for. Naruto made sure of that. Everyone was even in their humanoid forms in order to make Sasuke feel more comfortable with living in a kingdom full of spirits and demons. Though it was strange to see some with tails or ears that correspond to their animal form.

His mate was also an enigma. Though Sasuke had seen the royal family, he had yet to see Naruto himself. He always came in the dark to his room, asking Sasuke how his day went, talking to him, laughing with him, holding him, but only under the cloak of darkness. Whenever Sasuke would ask Naruto to see him, he would swiftly change the topic and give no room for the dark-haired man to argue.

He resisted the urge to comb his hand through his hair in frustration. Naruto wasn't being very helpful in trying to make their relationship work. If they were to spend an eternity with one another, why only do it in the dead of night, where Sasuke couldn't see him when he so dearly wanted to?

It had been five months since he came to Konoha, and still he didn't know how his mate looked like. He couldn't ask anybody but he figured that he would look like King Minato or Queen Kushina. Both were very attractive in their human forms, so their son should be as well. What could he be hiding?

He bit his lip when he saw that the sky was darkening and it was time for him to go back to his room to eat his meal, get bathed, dressed and sit in his dark room to wait for Naruto. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but the best part of his days was when Naruto would come. He didn't know how it happened, why he suddenly longed to be close to the other one. But soon, he looked forward to their nightly meetings, when they would talk, and then sleep in each other's arms.

It was actually Sasuke's doing that they have reached that level where they were constantly in each other's arms. It was a cold night and Sasuke, feeling a source of warmth nearby, immediately pulled himself into it and didn't draw away in shock when arms enfolded his slim frame against a broader one.

Naruto grew bold enough to embrace him in his sleep and Sasuke didn't mind. It wasn't until recently, when Sasuke just jumped at Naruto while they were speaking, that they were comfortable enough to hold each other while they were both aware.

Hurriedly, he went for his rooms, eating his meal in a deceptively leisurely pace, taking his bath, and getting into his sleeping robe. The maid who followed him into his sleeping quarters bid him a good night, taking with her the only source of light so that Sasuke's room was drenched in black.

Sasuke didn't have to wait long for his mate when he instantly felt the mattress dipping. Strong, warm arms engulfed him from behind and he felt himself being tugged into a lap.

"How was your day?" asked Naruto in a lazy drawl, burying his head in Sasuke's neck.

"Quite nice," answered Sasuke, burrowing himself deep into his mate's arms. "I learned a lot of new things from Iruka-sensei—like the demon wars five hundred years ago. Then Kakashi also taught me a new technique. I want to show you someday."

Naruto's melodious laugh rang through the room and Sasuke couldn't help but smile.

"Someday, my love, someday. Who knows, if you train hard enough for the next hundred years, maybe you could even beat me."

Sasuke delivered a punch to Naruto's stomach and the fox groaned in mock agony.

"Ouch, domestic abuse!" he wailed piteously.

"Shut up, dobe," said Sasuke.

"I told you to stop calling me that, you bastard!" growled Naruto, his grip on him tightening.

But instead of retorting, Sasuke grew silent, content enough in just listening to the heartbeat of his mate, knowing he was there, knowing that this was real, that it was not a dream.

"Sasuke?" said Naruto gently. "What's wrong, love?"

Sasuke sighed before answering. "It's just that I miss my family. I haven't seen my family in nearly half a year and...well...." He exhaled sadly. "It's nothing, I'm sorry if I troubled you."

Naruto lay back down on the bed, taking Sasuke with him who placed his head on his shoulder.

"Sasuke...can you do me a favour?" said Naruto tentatively as he stroked Sasuke's hand that he held.

"What is it?" asked Sasuke sleepily.

"Can I kiss you?" Naruto breathed out, almost fearfully, his chest tightening at the thought of Sasuke's answer.

Instead of replying, Sasuke removed himself from Naruto and the fox panicked, thinking that Sasuke was rejecting him.

It wasn't until he felt Sasuke hover above him and swept down to meet his lips in a sweet kiss that Naruto calmed down and smiled, wrapping his arms around the raven haired beauty and pulling him closer.

Sasuke wove his hands through the thick strands of Naruto's hair when the fox darted out a hot tongue to glide sensually across his bottom lip, begging for entrance. Sasuke gasped, letting the wet appendage in as Naruto's hands stroked his back.

Kissing Naruto was better than anything Sasuke ever experienced. It was like every nerve he had was on fire and his heart was beating so fast it nearly hurt. But he also felt calm, relaxed...even greatly loved.

Every thought he had, though, disappeared when Naruto probed his tongue inside his mouth, as if mapping it, and inciting a duel with his tongue. The kiss was slick and hot, and they both loved every minute of it.

For the first time, Sasuke was glad of the darkness for he feared the horrible blush that must have graced his cheeks when they parted. He was still panting slightly, trying to regain his breath. Naruto dove in for his neck, giving him small bites and kisses and it was all Sasuke could do not to groan out loud at the ministrations.

But finally, Sasuke felt himself being pulled into the realm of unconsciousness even stronger than before. Naruto must have sensed it for he told Sasuke to sleep and gave him another light peck on the lips.

Both of them slept with smiles on their mouths and embracing each other closer than ever before

--

"So, tell me about your mate," said Itachi as he and Sasuke sat down on the marble benches outside the Uchiha palace.

A week after that night found Sasuke back in the arms of his family for a short, one day only visit. It wasn't actually allowed for Sasuke to do this, but Naruto pulled a lot of strings and had granted his request.

And Sasuke would forever be grateful to him for this one chance.

"Well, he's kinda goofy, awkward, and a right dobe," said Sasuke, fondly thinking of Naruto. "But he can be quite thoughtful, which is why I'm here right now."

Itachi smiled at his brother's obvious adoration with the fox demon. He knew his brother long enough to be sure that Sasuke was in love with the fox demon.

"So...what does he look like? Does he come to you as a spirit or in his human form?" asked Itachi.

Sasuke's eyes dimmed before he answered hesitantly. "He stays in his human form but...aniki...I have never really seen him. He always comes to me in the dark of the night and refuses any of my requests to see him."

Itachi frowned. "Ah, I see. Here, brother, let me help you." He took out a small candle and a match from his pocket. "Light this when he falls asleep and maybe then you can see him."

Sasuke took the items, weighing his options. He didn't want to break Naruto's trust at the same time he wanted to see the other one who he had undeniably fallen for. He needed to see Naruto, to know who it was he had fallen so deeply in love with.

He nodded his head at his brother, pocketing the gifts. Tonight, definitely tonight, he would get to see Naruto at last.

--

Naruto had greeted him back that night with more enthusiasm than normal that Sasuke could not help but admit out loud that yes, he missed him too when Naruto asked. It felt good to be welcomed back at home like that, even after a short absence.

However, when Sasuke felt Naruto to be asleep, he reached underneath his pillow where he kept the candle and the match. He slowly disentangled himself from Naruto in order not to wake him, sat up, struck the match and lighted the candle.

The light the candle afforded was dim, yet it was enough for Sasuke to take a look at his mate.

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat in wonder as he finally gazed at Naruto for the first time.

Blond, spiky hair that framed a tanned, strong-jawed face was before him. Three whisker-like scars adorned each cheek. His body was tanned as well, and was as broad and as strong as Sasuke felt and imagined. The fox was simply breathtaking, unlike any other Sasuke had ever seen.

He was content to sit there, gazing at his mate, feeling love like he'd never felt before when Naruto suddenly stirred and awoke, registering that Sasuke had a candle in his hand, and he could see him.

See Naruto. Fuck.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you doing?" growled Naruto, backing away. "No, no, no, not again, this can't be happening, this isn't real," he cried.

"What the hell are you talking about, dobe?" asked Sasuke, not understanding why his mate was acting so strangely.

But Naruto only gave him a pained filled expression and moved away from him.

"Naruto, wait!" Sasuke yelled in panic. "Please, just listen to me, I—"

Naruto suddenly grabbed the Sasuke's hand which held the candle. "You betrayed me, Sasuke. I can't believe this, and I thought, I honestly thought..."

"Thought what?" asked Sasuke softly.

Naruto jerked his hand away in reply and in so doing, hot, melted wax flew and landed on his hand, making him hiss in pain. Without another word and quick as a flash, Naruto leapt out of the bed and out the window, disappearing from Sasuke's sight.

The harsh wind blew inside the room, extinguishing the candle, and Sasuke was again in the dark, only this time alone and in tears.

--

**To Be Continued**

**A/N:** Not my best work, but still, I hope you guys enjoyed. Wanna rip it, throw it in a blender and use for compost? Please do tell. Unbetaed, so full of mistakes, I know. This is based on the kitsune of Japanese folklore and also the Greek Mythology of Cupid and Psyche.

**Disclaimer:** The day I own Naruto is the day Kishimoto-sensei will let me fuck him to the floor.


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